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Robert Machray (actor)
Robert Machray Ward (May 4, 1945 – January 12, 2025) was an American actor. He was perhaps best known for playing the recurring role of fire marshal Dobbins in the American sitcom television series ''Cheers''. Life and career Machray was born in San Diego, California. His stage career included numerous major roles at Shakespeare festivals, and major roles with companies such as the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera, Hartford Stage and Playwrights Horizons, among others. Machray began his film and television career in 1977, appearing in the television film ''Panic in Echo Park''. He then appeared in the sitcom television series ''Operation Petticoat''. Machray guest-starred in television programs including ''Cheers'', ''Roseanne'', '' Life Goes On'', ''The Drew Carey Show'', ''Suddenly Susan'', '' Profiler'' and ''Three's Company''. He also appeared in two films: ''Cutting Class'' (as Mr. Conklin) and ''The Master of Disguise''. In 1983, he was cast in a summer stage productio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
San Diego, California
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in the United States. San Diego is the county seat, seat of San Diego County. It is known for its mild Mediterranean climate, extensive List of beaches in San Diego County, beaches and List of parks in San Diego, parks, long association with the United States Navy, and recent emergence as a wireless, electronics, List of hospitals in San Diego, healthcare, and biotechnology development center. Historically home to the Kumeyaay people, San Diego has been referred to as the ''Birthplace of California'', as it was the first site visited and settled by Europeans on what is now the West Coast of the United States. In 1542, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo claimed the area for Spain, forming the basis for the settlement of Alta California, 200 years later. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Television Film
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestrial television, terrestrial or Cable television, cable television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for initial showing in movie theaters, Direct-to-video, direct-to-video films made for initial release on home video formats, and films released on or produced for Over-the-top media service, streaming platforms. In certain cases, such films may also be referred to and shown as a miniseries, which typically indicates a film that has been divided into multiple parts or a series that contains a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Origins and history Precursors of "television movies" include ''Talk Faster, Mister'', which aired on WABD (now WNYW) in New York City on December 18, 1944, and was produced by RKO Pictures, and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mockumentary
A mockumentary (a portmanteau of ''mock'' and ''documentary'') is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events, but presented as a Documentary film, documentary. Mockumentaries are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues in a satirical way by using a fictional setting, or to parody the documentary form itself. The term originated in the 1960s but was popularized in the mid-1990s when ''This Is Spinal Tap'' director Rob Reiner used it in interviews to describe that film. While mockumentaries are comedy, comedic, pseudo-documentary, pseudo-documentaries are their dramatic equivalents. However, pseudo-documentary should not be confused with docudrama, a fictional genre in which dramatic techniques are combined with documentary elements to depict real events. Nor should either of those be confused with docufiction, a genre in which documentaries are contaminated with fictional elements. Mockumentaries are often presented as historical documenta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Political Satire
Political satire is a type of satire that specializes in gaining entertainment from politics. Political satire can also act as a tool for advancing political arguments in conditions where political speech and dissent are banned. Political satire is usually distinguished from political protest or political dissent, as it does not necessarily carry an agenda nor seek to influence the political process. While occasionally it may, it more commonly aims simply to provide entertainment. By its very nature, it rarely offers a constructive view in itself; when it is used as part of protest or dissent, it tends to simply establish the error of matters rather than provide solutions. Because of the exaggerated manner of these parodies, satirical news shows can more effectively sway their audiences to believe specific ideas by overemphasizing the flaws of the critiqued subject. This can be very harmful to the reputation of public figures or organizations since the satire frames them in a com ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
My Fair Lady
''My Fair Lady'' is a musical theatre, musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story, based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion (play), Pygmalion'' and on the Pygmalion (1938 film), 1938 film adaptation of the play, concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons from professor Henry Higgins, a phonetician, so that she may pass as a lady. Despite his cynical nature and difficulty understanding women, Higgins grows attached to her. The musical's 1956 Broadway theater, Broadway production was a notable critical and popular success, winning six Tony Awards, including Tony Award for Best Musical, Best Musical. It set a record for the Long-running musical theatre productions, longest run of any musical on Broadway up to that time and was followed by a hit London production. Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews starred in both productions. Many revivals have followed, and the 1964 My Fair Lady (film), film version ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Master Of Disguise
''The Master of Disguise'' is a 2002 American adventure comedy film directed by production designer Perry Andelin Blake in his sole directorial effort, written by Dana Carvey and Harris Goldberg, and produced by Sid Ganis, Alex Siskin, Barry Bernardi, and Todd Garner. The film stars Carvey, Brent Spiner, Jennifer Esposito, Harold Gould and James Brolin. It tells the story of a man who is trained to become a "Master of Disguise" by his grandfather when a master criminal kidnaps his parents. Produced by Revolution Studios, ''The Master of Disguise'' was released by Sony Pictures Releasing in the United States on August 2, 2002. The film received overwhelmingly negative reviews, with many critics deeming it among the worst films ever made. Despite its panning, it grossed $43.4 million on a $16 million budget. Plot In 1979 Palermo, Italy, Fabbrizio Disguisey, the latest in a long line of secret agents known as "Masters of Disguise", breaks up a smuggling ring run by the evil Dev ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cutting Class
''Cutting Class'' is a 1989 American black comedy slasher film directed by Rospo Pallenberg in his directorial debut, written by Steve Slavkin, and starring Donovan Leitch, Jill Schoelen, Brad Pitt, Roddy McDowall, and Martin Mull. It was Pitt's second major role, after '' The Dark Side of the Sun''. The film was released direct-to-video by Republic Pictures on December 13, 1989. Plot A paperboy delivers a newspaper to the house of District Attorney Bill Carson, who has planned a hunting trip. He warns his teenage daughter Paula to do her homework, not to allow boys in the house, and most importantly not to cut class. Paula then puts the newspaper in the bin, showing its headline: "Boy who killed father released from Mental Asylum." Bill Carson drives to the swamps for his hunting trip. As he takes shots into the air, someone hiding nearby holds a bow and arrows. The mysterious figure fires an arrow into Bill, who cries out and falls down to the ground. Struggling to get ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Three's Company
''Three's Company'' is an American television sitcom that aired for eight seasons on ABC from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984. Developed by Don Nicholl, Michael Ross and Bernie West, it is based on the British sitcom '' Man About the House'' created by Brian Cooke and Johnnie Mortimer. The story revolves around three single roommates: Jack Tripper, Janet Wood, and Chrissy Snow, who all platonically live together in a Santa Monica, California, apartment complex owned by Stanley and Helen Roper. The show, a farce, chronicles the escapades and hijinks of the trio's constant misunderstandings, social lives, and financial struggles. A top-10 hit from 1977 to 1983, the series has remained popular in syndication and through DVD releases. The show also spawned similar spin-offs to those that ''Man About the House'' had: '' The Ropers'' and '' Three's a Crowd'', based upon '' George and Mildred'' and '' Robin's Nest'', respectively. Synopsis Florist Janet Wood ( Joyce D ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Profiler (TV Series)
''Profiler'' is an American crime drama created by Cynthia Saunders that aired on NBC from September 21, 1996, to July 1, 2000. The series follows the exploits of a criminal profiler working with the fictional FBI Violent Crimes Task Force (VCTF) based in Atlanta, Georgia. The show initially starred Ally Walker as profiler Dr. Samantha Waters, the victim of a stalker known as "Jack of All Trades". At the end of the third season, Walker departed the series and was replaced by Jamie Luner as prosecutor-turned-profiler Dr. Rachel Burke during the show's final season. Robert Davi, Roma Maffia, Peter Frechette, and Julian McMahon co-starred for all four seasons. Caitlin Wachs and Erica Gimpel also co-starred for the first two seasons; Wachs was replaced by Evan Rachel Wood in a recurring role for the third season, while Gimpel appeared as a guest star. Along with '' The Pretender'', ''Profiler'' was a staple of NBC's Saturday night lineup during the late 1990s. The series ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Suddenly Susan
''Suddenly Susan'' is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from September 19, 1996, to December 26, 2000. The series was created by Clyde Phillips and starred Brooke Shields in her first regular series. Shields played Susan Keane, a glamorous San Francisco magazine writer who begins to adjust to being single, and who learns to be independent minded after having been taken care of all her life. The series was developed by Gary Dontzig and Steven Peterman, who also served as executive producers during the first three seasons and was produced by Warner Bros. Television. Synopsis Susan Keane (Brooke Shields) has always been taken care of by someone else. She worked as a copy editor at ''The Gate'', a fictional San Francisco magazine. On her wedding day, she realizes that she and her wealthy, vain fiancé, Kip, are not meant for each other and that there is more to life than just being known as the "s" in "The Kip Richmonds." She abruptly leaves him at the altar. Now, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Drew Carey Show
''The Drew Carey Show'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from September 13, 1995, to September 8, 2004. Set in Cleveland, Ohio, the series revolved around the retail office and home life of "everyman" Drew Carey, a fictionalized version of the comedian. The show was created by Carey, who had both stand-up comedy and writing experience, and television writer and producer Bruce Helford. Produced by Mohawk Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, it debuted on September 13, 1995, received positive reviews from critics and ranked among the Top 30 programs for four seasons before sliding in popularity. Ratings declined sharply during the final two seasons, and the last two episodes aired on September 8, 2004. Premise The character portrayed by Drew Carey shares his name and is a fictionalized version of himself, a self-proclaimed "everyman". Carey has explained that his character is what he would have been if he had not become an actor. He has ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
